Dagger.



I Inventor.

Attorneys PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905.

J. J. MITCHELL.

DAGGEB.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 22, 1905.

Witnesses UNITED STATES Patented June 27, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

DAGGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0, 793,310, dated June 27, 1905.

Application filed March 22,1905. Serial No. 251,515.

To 1/]? 'ulm'm/ it many concern..-

le it known that I, JOHN J. MITCHELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tower (lity, in the county of Schuylkill and State of Pennsylvania, have in vented'a new and useful Dagger, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to bladed weapons for theatrical or stage use, and has for its object to provide certain new and useful improvements in such devices, so as to obtain a telescoping of the blade for simulating the thrusting of the blade into the body of a person and also to equip the dagger with means for ejecting a red liquid upon the blade in imitation of the flow of blood as the result of a i'laggcr thrust.

\Yith these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a dagger embodying the features of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the dagger with the handle and the cover-plate removed. Fig. i is a detail perspective view of the pad or the guard to be worn by an actor and against which the point of the dagger is to be struck.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in each and every figure of the drawings.

The present dagger includes a hollow hand101, having a suitable hilt 2, and a telescopic blade made up of an inner hollow member 3, fixed to the handle, and an outer pointed blade member 4:, telescoping within the lixed member 3, the open outer end of the latter being somewhat smaller than the inner end of the slidable blade member to prevent outward displacement of the latter. The back of the lixed blade member 3 is cleft and bent inwardlyto form a spring-tongue 5, against which the slidable blade member 4 engages at its inner limit, so as to be held against accidental displacement when forced into the fixed blade member. \Vithin the inner end portion of the hollow lixed blade member 1 is a follower 6, having a stem 7, Working through a fixed plug 8, of rubber or similar material, fitted in the inner open end of the blade member 3.

\Vithin the handle 1 there is a longitudinal tube 9, the bottom of which is pierced by the stem 7, the latter being provided upon its rear end with a closure-plug 10, fitting within the open rear end of the tube to normally close the same. A collapsible reservoir 11, preferably a rubber bulb, is located within the rear portion of the handle and is provided at its open end with a metallic coupling or nipple 12, having a removable threaded connection with the rear end of the tube 9 and designed to contain a red liquid to simulate blood. A substantially U-shaped spring-clip 13 embraces the bulb to produce a pressure thereon, so as to force the liquid out of the bulb when the closure-plug is forced from the tube 9 into the bulb. A small tube or passage 14 leads from the forward end portion of the chamber 9 through the hilt of the dagger and along the exterior of the back of the fixed blade member 3, with its outer end open for the escape of the liquid to the exterior of the blade. A suitable cover-plate 15 is secured to the back of the blade-section 3, so as to cover the escape-tube 14: and the opening in the back of the blade-section, which is prod ueed by the formation of the spring 5.

'ith the parts of the dagger assembled as in Fig. 2 when the point of the blade is thrust against the body of the actor the telescopic section 4 will slide into the lixed section 3, which gives the impression that the point of the blade is entering the body of the actor. As the section it slides into the section 3 it strikes the collar (3 and pushes the closureplug 10 into the bulb 11, thereby openingcommunication between the latter and the chamber 9, whereupon the s n'ing-clip 13 will compress the bulb, and the red liquid contained therein will pass out through the chamber 9 and the passage 14 to the back of the blade, thereby simulating the llow of blood occasioned by a dagger thrust. To further carry out the deception, it is proposed to have the dagger remain upon the body of the actor who has been stabbed, and therefore I provide-a guard or pad, as shown in Fig. A} of the drawings, consisting of plate members 16 of suitable material to be penetrated by the point of the dagger, preferably wood, said members being hinged by a pair of substantially U-shaped links 17, which have their corresponding ends loosely looped together, as at 18, at the joint between the members, the closed end of each link being projected at the outer edge of the member, as at 19, to form a loop or eye for connection with a tape or belt to be passed around the body of the wearer, so as to support the guard or pad in any desired position. lVhen such a pad is worn and the point of the blade is sunk therein, the dagger will remain upon the body of the actor, who releases the pad, and the handle member will be held against outward movement upon the blade member 4; by the f ctional engagement of the spring 5 against said blade member 4:.

To permit access to the bulb 11 for refilling the same, the handle is made removable. A convenient form of removable connection between the handle and the hilt is had by means of an annular flange 20, provided upon the back of the hilt and fitting snugly within the inner end of the handle, there being removable tastenings 21, preferably screw-threaded, piercing the handle and the flange.

It will here be explained that the outer end of the blade-section 3 is reduced in thickness and tapered so as to practically merge into the outer blade-section 4c in order that the blade may have the appearance of a single piece. Moreover, the plate 15 will be brazed, soldered, or otherwise connected to the bladesection 3, so as to conceal the fact that there is a plate secured to the blade.

Having fully described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A theatrical weapon comprising a handle, a telescopic blade, a compressible liquidcontaining receptacle housed within the weapon and under pressure, and a passage leading from the receptacle to the exterior of the blade.

2. A theatrical weapon having a telescopic blade, a liquid-containing receptacle, a normally closed passage leading from the receptacle to the exterior of the blade, and means controlled by the telescoping of the blade to open the passage.

3. A theatrical weapon having a telescopic blade, a liquid-containing receptacle, a passage leading from the receptacle to the exterior of the blade, a closure for the passage, and a closure-controlling slide disposed in the path of the movable member of the blade to open the closure.

4:. Atheatrical weapon comprising a hollow handle, a telescopic blade, a chamber within the handle, a liquid-containing receptacle connected to the chamber, a slidable closure-plug controlling the connection between the chamher and the receptacle, a passage leading from the chamber to the blade, and a controllingslide connected to the closure-plug and disposed in the path of telescoping movement of the point member of the blade.

5. A theatrical weapon having a telescopic blade, a collapsible liquid-containing receptacle, a normally closed passage leading from the receptacle to the blade, means controlled by the telescoping of the blade to open the passage, and a tension device operating upon the receptacle with a tendency to collapse the same when the passage is opened.

6. A theatrical weapon having a telescopic blade, a liquid-containing collapsible bulb, a.

normally closed passage leading from the bulb to the blade, means controlled by the telescoping of the blade to open thepassage, and a substantially U-shaped spring-clip embracing the bulb with a tendency to collapse the same when the passage is opened.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN J. MITCHELL.

\Vitnesses:

PATRICK J. MoGILL, J NO. LAWLER. 

